


Golden

by Killerrach



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Author is an idiot, I think this is a songfic???, I'll add more tags later, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, POV Sokka (Avatar), Roommates, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25234357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killerrach/pseuds/Killerrach
Summary: Sokka jumped up quickly ignoring the smug look on Haru’s face as he sprinted towards the bathroom, mumbling to himself as he went. Stupid Haru and stupid boys with pretty eyes and sexy scars and stupid-“Oof.”For the second time that week Sokka had nearly plowed down another student. The other person grabbed a hold of him before he went toppling towards his death. Sokka tried to even his breath as he stared at the floor, which was way closer than it should have been. He began to stand but didn’t dare look up, afraid that he would see..“You again!”Golden eyes, a sexy scar, and an angry expression.Or: a modern Zukka college au where Sokka meets Zuko in the library after nearly killing him (twice) and they spark up a unique friendship after bonding over shitty music.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 563





	1. Playlist

**Author's Note:**

> Just another modern college Zukka au. Full of shitty music that I project onto characters I do not own.

Sokka had met Zuko his second week of his first semester. He had fallen asleep at the library with _Katara’s Classical Study Tune’s_ playlist in his ear and woken up to _Sokka’s Jams #5_ blasting through his headphones.

He looked down at his phone and saw he had only twenty minutes to get halfway across campus to his Biology class.

“Oh fuck!”

Everyone around him had looked over with raised eyebrows and grumpy expressions. One dude sitting at the table behind him angrily shushed him. Sokka winked at him before haphazardly throwing his books in his bag and bolting down the stairs.

In hindsight, Sokka was sure that literally running into the grumpiest boy he had ever seen in his entire life, had been fate, which was crazy because he definitely didn't believe in anything as silly as _fate_.

Sokka skidded around the corner panting heavily, vaguely aware of the song still loudly pulsing through his entire brain.

_“Got my heartbeat racing, if I die don’t wake me…”_

The boy had been coming up the stairs at the same time he had tried to go down and Sokka had nearly knocked them both out for good.

“Woah!”

“Hey, watch it!”

Sokka grabbed onto the boys shoulders reflexively which saved them from careening backwards off the stairs, but didn’t stop the boys coffee from getting squished in his hand and exploding all over his expensive red sweater. It must have been hot from the way he yelped and Sokka’s face exploded in heat.

“I am _so_ sorry-”

“Jesus, dude, were you trying to kill me?!”

Sokka huffed as the boy walked around him, shaking at his dripping sweater. _He sure is dramatic_ , Sokka thought.

“ _Clearly_ I didn’t see you coming up-”

“So I suppose you just run around like a madman everywhere you go?”

“As a matter of fact, yes I do!”

The boy looked up at that, and Sokka immediately felt his own anger dissipate. He was still angry, it was written all over the boys face, but he was _beautiful._ He noticed the boy's beauty before he noticed the giant scar that covered half of his face.

_I’m in love_ , Sokka thought faintly as any hope of making it to his bio class in time flew out the door. He was a goner, he was done for, this boy would be the end of him. This boy and his grumpy face and his sexy scar and his golden, golden eyes.

The boy must have noticed him staring because he looked down at his coffee stained sweater with an unreadable expression. Sokka felt his heart leap into his chest. _Oh no, I’m being insensitive-_

“Whatever,” the boy said as he bent down to pick up his crushed reusable coffee cup, “just watch where you’re going.” He began to march away, mumbling something about Sokka’s intelligence, but Sokka didn’t mind.

“Hey wait! What’s your name?”

The boy turned, his expression still unreadable, but probably annoyed if Sokka had to guess.

“...Zuko.” The boy, Zuko, said after a moment and Sokka beamed. _Zuko._

“I’ll make it up to you, Zuko!” Sokka called as he began to race back down the stairs, hoping that his professor wouldn’t notice him sneaking in late. He barely heard Zuko call out,

“Please don’t!” with a panicked voice, but Sokka just waved him off with a wink as he readjusted his headphones so that he could hear his music clearly as he began his ten minute run to the Science Labs.

“ _You were out of my league, got my heartbeat racing…”_

_Fitting_ , Sokka thought with a smile.

_Out of My League._ Fitz and the Tantrums. From their second studio album, _More than Just a Dream._ 2013.

* * *

Sokka staked out the library quite regularly after that. On the one hand, he had already planned to do that. Him and his high school buddy Haru had basically moved into the back table on the second floor so that they could go over notes before after class, a perk from them both being Bio Chem majors. On the other hand...well Sokka had a hidden agenda.

But every time he glanced up with hopeful eyes and looked around the library, Haru would sigh and say,

“Sokka, your boyfriend is not here.”

“Pfft. I don’t have a boyfriend, Haru. Besides, have you seen Zuko? His sweater alone could probably pay for my entire semester and then some. He is way out of my league.” Haru rolled his eyes, gently shutting his book as he looked up at Sokka.

“Sokka, you forget that one, no I haven’t seen him, and two we’ve been coming here for the past three nights and we’ve sat in the same spot so that you can keep an eye on the place you ran into Scarface-”

“Don’t call him that!”

“And we’ve accomplished absolutely nothing. So either stop daydreaming about your boyfriend or get up and find him so I don’t have to deal with your pining anymore.”

“I am not...how dare you...I’m going to the bathroom!”

Sokka jumped up quickly ignoring the smug look on Haru’s face as he sprinted towards the bathroom, mumbling to himself as he went. _Stupid Haru and stupid boys with pretty eyes and sexy scars and stupid-_

_“Oof.”_

For the second time that week Sokka had nearly plowed down another student. The other person grabbed a hold of him before he went toppling towards his death. Sokka tried to even his breath as he stared at the floor, which was way closer than it should have been. He began to stand but didn’t dare look up, afraid that he would see..

“You again!”

Golden eyes, a sexy scar, and an angry expression.

“Zuko,” Sokka said breathless as color began to flood his cheeks. _Tui and La, the fates really were trying to tell him something, weren’t they?_

“Do you make a habit of running into everybody? Or is it something you save just to make my life more difficult?”

“Look," Sokka retorted, getting heated himself despite how cute Zuko looked, "I’m sorry that I have other things on my brain than making sure that you can see where you’re going-” As soon as he said it he regretted it. Zuko’s good eye narrowed to the size of his bad one. He crossed his arms over his chest, and Sokka tried not to stare at how good he looked in his dark red shirt and hoodie.

“Ah, good one.”

“Oh shit, I’m sorry I didn’t mean that I just…” Sokka looked at Zuko helplessly, waiting for him to explode, but Zuko just lowered his arms and looked down. He looked tired.

“It’s fine...just, watch where you’re going, um…?”

“Sokka!” He blurted it out before Zuko could ask, and blushed furiously as Zuko raised his good eyebrow.

“Right...well just be careful, Sokka.” He turned to leave, and Sokka began to panic. He couldn’t go back to Haru with this failure of an exchange as a story, he had to fix it!

“Wait!” Zuko turned. Sokka had nothing to say. He noticed Zuko’s headphones wrapped around his neck and dangling down his side. “Uh...do you like music?”

“Do I like music.”

“Yeah,” Sokka said, his confidence returning, “like, what do you listen to? I’ve got about ten playlists at the moment I can share with you, and if you don’t like them maybe you would like some of my baby sisters, but she’s into sad and boring classical music that she claims ‘helps to calm the mind and soul’ but I think that’s just her boyfriend’s influence and-”

“Sokka do you always talk this much?” Sokka nodded enthusiastically, empowered by Zuko’s small smile and the fact that he hadn’t run the other way screaming yet.

“Sure do! Anyways, let’s talk music…” He was about to throw his arm around Zuko and steer him back towards Haru, when a boy with dark hair and insane eyebrows knocked into Zuko’s shoulder, causing a startled yelp from the boy. _What now?_ Sokka thought angrily.

“Oh, hey Zuko, didn’t see ya there.”

Zuko reached up to rub at his shoulder, his eyes narrowing in disgust as he said, “Go away, Jet.”

Jet just smiled back, the kind of smile that made Sokka’s skin crawl. He had the sudden urge to punch this guy in the teeth. Jet turned to Sokka. “Who's your boyfriend?”

“Oh, I’m not-”

“This is Sokka.”

Jet looked Sokka up and down with clear distaste, and Sokka again resisted the urge to puff out his chest and kick the guy down the stairs. He was giving off _major_ creep vibes.

“Well...nice to meet you, Sock-ah.”

Sokka took a step forward ready to punch this dude in the throat, but Zuko grabbed him by the arm.

“I would say it was good to see you, Jet, but it wasn’t.” He dragged Sokka away before Sokka could make a fool of himself, leaving Jet to blubber by himself angrily. The two of them found themselves in the quiet corner of the library. The one with the big squishy chairs that almost always housed a napping student, but blessedly, was empty tonight. Zuko sank into the one on the right and Sokka followed into the chair on the left.

"Nice guy." 

Zuko sighed.

“Sorry about him, I didn’t mean to drag you into my personal shit.”

Sokka shrugged, he hadn't really minded all that much. He was just glad that the both of them were away from that creep. He glanced over at Zuko. He had his face in his hands, but he still looked angry.

“Jet is an...interesting name.” Sokka said as he picked at his nails, unsure of what else to say to this boy he barely knew, but desperately wanted to. Zuko huffed humorlessly and began to dig around in his backpack.

“Unfortunately, Jet is tame compared to others in my life.”

Sexy and mysterious. Sokka was intrigued. He whistled lowly.

“What kind of life are you living, man?”

"You know, I have a lot of homework to do," was his only answer, but Sokka could tell that he wasn't really all that bothered. Zuko pulled out his phone, scrolling through something with concentration as Sokka laughed.

"Ah, homework. That's a good one."

Zuko rolled his eyes and held out his phone to Sokka, who took it with confusion. He looked down to see Zuko's spotify open. Sokka took the phone with excitement and began to flick through Zuko’s favorites, trying to get a feel for his taste. _Fall Out Boy. MCR. Bring Me The Horizon. Sleeping With Sirens. Coldplay._ Sokka resisted the urge to laugh. This kid was so emo it was almost laughable.

It was also pretty cute.

He started to make a new playlist, adding some of his own favorites. Zuko leaned over, the tips of his hairs tickling Sokka’s shoulder.

“Whatcha doin?”

“You listen to some depressing stuff, dude. I’m just trying to lighten the load.” Zuko shrugged and sat back down in his chair.

“Alright.”

When Sokka was done, Zuko had a new playlist called _Songs Zuko’s New And Amazing Friend Sokka Thinks Zuko Would And Should Like._ Featuring bops such as 80’s pop hits _When Doves Cry_ and _Time after Time,_ as well as _Ariana Grande, Harry Styles,_ and _Hozier,_ for the angst. Zuko looked down at the new playlist and smiled softly, and Sokka’s heart did cartwheels. He pulled out his headphones and offered one to Zuko, who took it. Sokka clicked play on a song he thought Zuko would like, and the two sat in silence for a moment.

It wasn’t until Zuko’s phone began to ring that the smile faded, and Sokka’s heart went back to a normal rhythm. “Sorry it’s my...sister.”

“Oh, then you should probably take it. I’m sure my friend Haru is worried where I ran off to anyways.” Zuko looked down at his phone as if he did not want to take it, but he nodded at Sokka.

“Okay. Well, thanks Sokka. I’ll see you around?” Sokka nodded and smiled smugly as he began to walk back towards his and Haru’s table.

‘You better, I put my number in your phone.”

He skipped off, chuckling to himself at Zuko's shocked expression, the lyrics from the song they had shared together bouncing around in his head.

_"Baby you're like lightning in a bottle, I can't let you go now that I've got it..."_

Sokka ignored Haru's knowing glance as he sat down, humming to himself. He picked up his pencil and dived back into their notes. Haru seemed ready to let it go until Sokka's phone went _ding!_

They both looked down to see an unknown number and the message: _Hey Sokka. It's Zuko._

Haru smirked and Sokka flushed.

_"All I need is to be struck by your electric love."_

_Electric Love_. Borns. From their second EP _Candy._ 2014.


	2. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game night with the Gaang, Sokka gets drunk, Zuko is in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I continue to project my shitty music tastes onto these characters.

Coldplay’s _Warning Sign_ , from their second studio album _A Rush Of Blood To The Head_ (2002) was blasting in the living room when Sokka came home from class that afternoon. Sokka set his bag down on the counter and sighed as he looked around for his roommate. Their friendship had blossomed quite quickly after that afternoon at the library, and when Zuko had asked, in the most nervous and adorable way possible, if Sokka wanted to room with him, he had of course said yes. By their junior year, they were still roommates, and at this point Sokka considered Zuko his best friend.

But if Zuko was listening to 2002 Coldplay, then his best friend must not have had a very good day. That was Zuko’s _Stare At The Wall In A Contemplative Matter For Two Hours Until Sokka Would Quite Literally Drag Him Away_ album. Or in simpler terms; Zuko was upset.

Zuko wasn’t sitting in his usual corner of the kitchen (in front of the oven, on the floor, like a weirdo) but was instead pacing up and down the living room quietly talking to himself. Sokka thought he heard him mutter something about his dad, which sent the very tips of his nerves on fire. They had only ever briefly discussed the extent of Ozai's abuse, but just the mention of the man was enough to make Sokka's blood boil.

Chris Martin was loud and whiny and Sokka had never cared for Coldplay, but Zuko did.

_“When the truth is…I miss you.”_

Mumbling to himself as his hands twisted in nervous circles, Zuko mustn’t have heard Sokka enter, or the door softly shut behind him. He continued to pace up and down, leaving soft footprints into the carpet.

“Zuko?”

Zuko jumped wide eyed and panicked, and Sokka winced. He hated being the cause of Zuko's discomfort, even if it was unintentional. 

“Why are you listening to _Warning Sign_ from Coldplay's second studio album _A Rush Of Blood To The Head?_ ”

The fear began to slowly drain from Zuko’s face as he realized that it wasn't a threat, just Sokka. Sokka knew that Zuko probably half expected Ozai to walk through the door any minute and finish Zuko off, no matter how improbable that would be. Zuko crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. “I thought I told you to stop saying it like that.”

Sokka crossed his arms too and raised his eyebrows. A silent standoff.

Lately, Zuko had been feeling worse than usual and they both knew it. Sokka pretended he didn’t notice whenever Zuko jumped at a loud noise or flinched if somebody moved too suddenly. He pretended that Zuko’s shaking hands were just from too much caffeine and not enough sleep. He pretended that he didn’t want to kill Ozai.

He pretended that Zuko wasn’t breaking his heart.

They stared at each other for a moment while Chris continued to whine in the background. Sokka didn’t say that he knew that this was the eighth track from the album, meaning that Zuko had been pacing up and down the floor for at least eight other horribly whiny Coldplay songs.

_“A warning sign...it came back to haunt me and I realized…”_

Sokka wasn’t sure how to comfort his friend who was so clearly hurting. He wanted to take a step forward, and then another and another until he was close enough to wrap Zuko in his arms and hold him tight enough to keep him together so that for once Zuko didn't have to.

He didn’t do that though. He put on a smile and rolled his eyes and begged Zuko to turn off Coldplay's _Warning Sign_ from their second studio album _A Rush Of Blood To The Head_ (2002).

“Zuko it’s Friday! We have to get ready for game night!”

Zuko grunted in response as Sokka kicked off his shoes and entered the living room.

Sokka loved game night. The friends that he had made at college all came over and they drank shitty beer and played silly games. It was the one of the few things that he was naturally better at than Katara and he loved any activity where he got to show off in front of his roommate. Annihilating his sister and their friends in Smash happened to be one of them.

“Zuko, please turn off _Warning Sign_ from Coldplay's second studio album _A Rush Of Blood To The Head._ 2002.”

“I know you did not just say 2002 out loud.”

“Turn it off, Zuko.”

“No.”

Zuko's phone was laying on the couch smack dab in the middle of the two of them. Sokka’s eyes briefly flitted over towards the couch at the same time Zukos did. Zuko must have known what Sokka was thinking because they both lunged at the same time. Sokka ended up smacking his forehead on Zuko’s shoulder, which knocked Zuko backwards over the coffee table where he landed on the floor with a soft thud. Katara was right, he _did_ have a thick skull. There was smacking and grabbing and maybe even some hissing, but in the end Sokka prevailed.

Zuko was lying on his back while Sokka stood over him brandishing his phone in his face and sticking his tongue out like the child Katara always told him he was. Zuko covered his face with his hands and muttered something about Sokka being a “ _sore winner_ ”. Sokka smiled radiantly, but Zuko didn’t quite smile back. Sokka’s heart ached with helplessness as he searched for the right words to use.

When none came, he gave up and began to rifle through Zuko’s spotify after unlocking his phone. _Fuckoff_ wasn’t a very original password and months ago Sokka had guessed it on the third try. Zuko still hadn’t changed it.

“Come on Cranky Pants, we have to scrub the toilet before Katara shows up.” He finally settled on one of Zuko’s most listened to playlists. _Zuko’s Feel-Good Playlist_. Sokka clicked shuffle.

“You have to scrub the toilet,” Zuko said petulantly, but Sokka just smiled.

“Fine, but you have to get up and start dinner then.” He extended a hand to Zuko as they both pretended that “dinner” wasn’t just frozen pizza, chips and beer. Zuko finally grabbed Sokka’s hand and let him drag him to his feet, but he was still frowning and his shoulders were still tense. Zuko began to drag his hand out of Sokka’s and Sokka panicked at the lack of heat from Zuko’s warm hand. He grabbed on harder and when Zuko raised his good eyebrow, Sokka flushed when he suddenly had a great idea. One of his best, he thought to himself.

He spun Zuko around in a wide circle.

Zuko _squealed_. “Sokka what-”

“Dance with me, your Highness.”

Zuko scowled. “Don’t call me that,” he said, but allowed Sokka to gently drape his arm over Zuko’s shoulders as they aggressively and very off tempo swayed to the music. Sokka ignored the way his heart skipped a beat when Zuko glanced up at him and smiled shyly.

He found that left unchecked, he would talk Zuko into an early grave, and when his friend was in such a delicate state he really didn’t want to scare him off. He would show Zuko how loved he was through stupid, _stupid_ gestures.

Sokka thrust his hips out and waved his arms. He spun Zuko around wildly and forced him to shimmy. He did his very best attempt at what Katara and Suki called, “white girl dancing”, and smiled when Zuko finally laughed. They were terrible dancers and they knew it.

While Sokka climbed on top of the couch to perform a drum solo, probably his best yet if he had to wager, he watched as Zuko shook his head in fond adoration from his spot on the carpet.

“There are hardly any drums in this song, Sokka.”

Sokka was headbanging to the rhythm, his hair flying out of his ponytail.

“It’s about the _vibe_ , baby.”

Zuko laughed and Sokka laughed and the world shifted slightly to the left as Sokka’s heart expanded in his chest almost too big to contain. He danced and hummed along to the familiar song, one he had sent to Zuko a few months ago over text, the message reading _“reminded me of you bb ;)_ ”.

Zuko must have liked the song too.

_Golden..._

Harry Styles. _Golden,_ from his second studio album _Fine Line_. 2019.

_You’re so golden_. 

* * *

Game night went as it always did. Katara and Aang showed up first. While Sokka geeked out with Aang over the latest switch releases, Katara walked around the apartment pretending she wasn’t making sure that it was clean and up to her standards. Then she walked over and hovered over Zuko in the kitchen, who was pulling the pizza out of the oven. Sokka could feel Zuko roll his eyes as he said,

“Katara, I can handle taking out a pizza. I’m not going to burn myself.”

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Katara mumbled with a worried glance at the pizza, but she left him alone and brought the bowl of chips and salsa Sokka had brought home after class to the living room.

“Cut him some slack Katara,” Sokka said with a mouthful of salsa. “When I got home from Chem he was listening to _Warning Sign_ from Coldplay's second studio album-” 

“Sokka will you _shut up?!_ ” Sokka shrugged in a _“what can you do_ ” sort of way, but glanced over to make sure that Zuko wasn’t really upset. His face was a little pinker than usual and he wore his ever present scowl, but Sokka could see no tension in his shoulders or worry in his brow. He smiled smugly to himself.

“I’m just saying buddy, that's when you _know_ that you’re upset.”

“I have never once said anything about listening to Coldplay when I’m upset. Which I _wasn’t_ ,” Zuko called from the kitchen as he carefully arranged the pizza to cool on the stove.

“You didn’t have to,” Katara said with a smug smile and a suggestive glance in Sokka’s direction. Zuko frowned and Sokka flushed. Aang ate a gluten free vegan tortilla chip with hummus. Sokka and Zuko didn’t have hummus.

He was too busy silently cursing Katara to the moon when Suki and Toph arrived. Katara threw her hair over her shoulder in a dramatic fashion and Sokka resisted the urge to roll his eyes. _Stupid sisters and their stupid intuition and stupid feelings-_

Sokka was ripped out of his self pity inner monologue when Aang leaned over and whispered “You okay, Sokka?”

“Of course I am, I’m getting ready to kick everyone’s butt in Smash!”

Aang frowned and went back to his hummus. He shrugged and said, “Okaay. It’s just that you were mumbling about feelings and sisters and-”

“I was _not!_ ”

Toph chose that moment to throw herself on top of Sokka and Aang’s laps, her feet landing directly in Aang's hummus. Aang looked down sadly at his ruined snack.

“Toph!” Sokka yelped in surprise.

“Oh hey Sokka, didn’t see you there.”

Sokka spluttered and shoved Toph off of himself while Suki laughed. It even earned a small chuckle out of Aang, who was busy trying to scrape hummus off of Sokka and Zuko’s living room carpet with a broken tortilla chip.

“Toph,” Katara said admonished, “you spilled hummus all over the carpet.”

“Hummus all over the _goddamn carpet_!” Sokka shouted, earning a snort from Zuko and an eye roll from his sister.

“Sorry Katara,” Toph said with mock innocence, “I didn’t see it!”

Katara rolled her eyes but Sokka could tell she wasn’t really that annoyed. She excused herself to the bathroom for carpet cleaner, and Sokka was about to point out that Zuko and him didn’t own any carpet cleaner when Zuko called;

“Pizza’s ready!”

Sokka and Toph fought and pushed each other over to get there first, and Sokka once again came out victorious. He didn’t let the fact that Toph couldn’t actually see ruin his victory. Zuko had cut the pizza up with a knife because somehow the two of them had lost their pizza cutter and always forgot to pick up a new one when they were out. It was uneven and difficult to pull apart and it somehow worked out perfectly.

Aang set up Sokka's switch (they couldn't use Zuko's. He was paranoid that somehow, one of them would fuck up and erase all the hard work he had put into his Animal Crossing island.) and soon Game Night had begun.

Sokka drank a beer with his pizza. He drank another one while he obliterated Suki in Smash. He had another as he watched Zuko go head to head with Katara. It was a close call but Katara won with a loud _“Ha!”_ and Sokka had to try to ignore how cute Zuko looked when he pouted. He drank a fourth when Toph brought it to him as his “personal cheerleader but if you make it weird I’ll punch you”. He drank his fifth after he won the Triforce cup in Mario Kart. By the time Game Night had moved onto Mario Party, Sokka was feeling a lot of things.

Sokka was playing as Rosalina. He always played as Rosalina.

“Why do you always play as Rosalina, Sokka?” Aang asked sleepily from the floor. His head was in Katara’s lap and his eyes were drooping. The kid was so focused on his midterm paper he could hardly keep his eyes open these days.

“She reminds me of the moon,” Sokka said dreamily with a hiccup. “I like the moon.”

Aang still looked confused, they all did really, but nobody asked any more questions. With only one turn left and Katara steadily closing in on what Sokka hoped to be his win, he was beginning to get nervous. He was too focused on the game and too drunk from the beers to notice that Zuko’s head had slumped against his shoulder, his breath hot and slow, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat syncing up easily with Sokka’s.

Katara and Sokka had three stars each. Sokka had fifteen coins and Katara twelve. Zuko was in steady third and Aang was losing spectacularly. The last turn flew by and Zuko, with two stars himself, had the option to either steal a star or coins from another player. Katara and Sokka begin to yell at him to pick the other.

“He was more coins than I do, Zuko! It’s only fair that you take from Sokka.”

“Oh, _now_ you want to talk about fair?!” He turned to Zuko. “Zuko we are roommates. We are buds!”

Zuko’s entire body sleepily sagged against Sokka’s, but his smile was mischievous and his eyes glinted gold in the moonlight as he looked up at Sokka. For a moment the world stands still and Sokka knows exactly what Zuko is about to do.

He steals Katara’s coins.

Katara throws her hands up in exasperation as Sokka and Zuko high five, laughing loudly.

“Suck it Katara, you wish you had a bond like Zuko and I do.”

Katara ignored him in favor of rolling her eyes and angrily turned towards Zuko.

“Really Zuko, my coins? You couldn’t even be bothered enough to steal the star? You just had to go and let Sokka win-”

“Hold on,” Aang says calmly from his place on the floor, “there's still the bonus stars to hand out.”

Katara sits back down grumpily, but there’s a hint of hope in her eyes. It doesn’t matter though, because Sokka rolled like shit the entire night and nabs one of the bonus stars. He thrusts his hand triumphantly in the air, the action causing his unstable mind and body to stumble slightly towards Zuko who is chuckling lightly to himself. Zuko catches him and wraps his arm around Sokka’s shoulder.

“You suck, Sokka.” Katara huffs, and Sokka blows her a kiss.

“Congrats, man.” Zuko says as Aang begins to clean up their mess. Before he can stop himself Sokka blurts out,

“I could _kiss_ you right now.” Zuko goes pale and still with wide eyes and stiff shoulders. It’s quiet for a long moment before Toph snorts.

“Well then do it, you big Scardy-Cat.”

For a moment Sokka allows his drunk mind to entertain the thought of closing the small distance between him and his best friend. He allows himself to think about Zuko’s soft lips and his soft hair and his soft, golden eyes. Ever so slightly, Sokka leans in. The spell is broken when Aang lets out a loud “ _Ugghh_!” after placing his foot directly in the hummus container he had set aside on the floor. Sokka takes a moment to compose himself as his friends all laugh, reigning in the terror of almost kissing his best friend. Zuko awkwardly runs his hand through his hair as he lightly chuckles at Aang’s expense, but his heart isn’t really in it. It seems to still be with Sokka.

Sokka doesn’t let himself hope.

The game is over and the gang cleans up quickly, heading out with hugs and loud drunken promises of “ _Next week_!” and “ _I’ll kick your ass just you wait!_ ” and suddenly it’s just a very drunk Sokka left alone in the kitchen with a very drunk Zuko. Sokka doesn’t realize he’s humming to himself. He staggers past Zuko, who stands tiredly in front of the fridge no doubt looking for some sort of late night snack. Sokka picks up a sponge and begins to wash the dishes from dinner. Zuko turns around with a frown and a piece of chocolate cheesecake that Sokka didn’t know they had.

“Sokka,” Zuko says with a mouthful of cheesecake, “those plates are already clean.”

Sokka looks down to see that they are indeed clean.

“Your face is already clean,” is all he’s able to come up with, mumbling it quietly under his breath with drunken embarrassment. Zuko rolls his eyes and puts the leftover cheesecake back in the fridge.

“Come on cranky pants, you need to go to sleep.”

“ _You_ need to go to sleep.”

Zuko threads his arm through Sokka’s and gently pulls him down the hallway towards Sokka’s bedroom. Sokka grumbles with annoyance but Zuko is gentle as he always is and they stumble down the hallways as they always do.

Sokka wonders, briefly, if this is exactly where they were always meant to end up. Spiraling towards each other under the light of the moon. He wonders if Zuko feels something too or if he’s just projecting. He wonders what Zuko is thinking about, and if it happens to be him. He stops wondering when his brain begins to hurt.

Somehow Zuko manages to haul Sokka into his bed. Sokka wastes no time in shuffling out of his jeans, not noticing the blush creeping up Zuko’s neck. He faceplants into his pillow, sighing deeply as he’s enveloped in the warm comfort of his bed. He doesn’t notice Zuko drape the comforter over his body with gentle precision. He _does_ notice when Zuko quietly says, “Goodnight, Sokka,” and begins to turn to leave.

Sokka is struck with the same panic that had coursed through him earlier that afternoon before they had danced together in their living room. The loss of Zuko’s warmth terrifies him almost as much as the idea of keeping it close. With a speed he didn’t know he was capable of in his drunken state, he reaches out and grabs Zuko’s wrist, dragging his friend back towards the bed. He tries to tell Zuko that he looks pretty in the moonlight. He tries to tell him that he doesn’t want to take the warmth with him back down the hall. He tries to tell Zuko a lot of things, but all that comes out is;

_“Hhhmmpphh,”_

“...What?”

Sokka can feel his heart in his throat, he wants Zuko to stay. How can he ask Zuko to stay? He wants him to stay.

“Zuko!” It comes out louder and more panicked than he intends, but it does the job. Zuko shuffles closer and sits on the edge of Sokka’s bed, his hand still trapped in Sokka’s strong grip.

“What?” Zuko asks again, this time with more concern, and his expression is so worried that Sokka snorts. Zuko’s brows do that thing when he thinks somebody is making fun of him. Sokka had gotten really familiar with that look when he first introduced Zuko to their friends. He never wanted to be the reason for that expression. He reaches up to touch Zuko’s face to...wipe it off maybe? He isn’t sure but fuck it, it’s too late to back away from his decision now.

But Zuko gently catches Sokka’s outstretched hand and lowers it back down to the bed.

“Sokka…”

“Stay?”

Zuko’s expression shifts again, this time to surprise. Sokka wonders if he’s remembering that night two years ago when Zuko had asked the same thing of him. When he had told Sokka everything about his past until there was nothing left but a broken boy with a scar on his face and the weight of the world on his shoulders. They hadn't been friends very long, but Sokka had curled around him that night and they stayed there until the sun came up, content just to be safe with each other. Sokka wanted that feeling again.

Zuko softened the slightest bit as he chewed on his bottom lip.

“...Okay.”

Sokka resists the urge to throw his fist in the air in triumph, instead settling for a sappy “Yaaaay Zuko!” which probably isn’t any better. Zuko rolls his eyes but his cheeks are red as he crawls in next to Sokka. It doesn’t take long for Sokka to drape his legs over Zuko’s stiff body, snuggling as close as he can get. He figures if the universe is playing another cruel joke on him by letting him have who he wants, then he might as well enjoy himself. Zuko hesitates at first but eventually pulls Sokka closer, his hand landing on the small of his back and holding him tight. Sokka hums to himself, the same song he had been humming in the kitchen, a song that he knows Zuko loves just as much as he does.

“Feels good to be alone with youuuu,” Sokka mumble-sings into Zuko’s chest. He can feel Zuko’s soft laughter vibrating his body.

“Go to sleep, Sokka.” He reaches over and turns off the light on Sokka’s nightstand, and Sokka whines from the lack of contact as Zuko draws away. Zuko smiles, a real tired and happy and soulful smile at him as he settles back into the bed, wrapping Sokka back up in his embrace.

_Woahh oh oh oh..._

Sokka’s mind is still fuzzy and keeps going back to Hozier, but Zuko just looks so damn beautiful. It takes them both by surprise when Sokka pushes himself up to lightly kiss Zuko’s cheek. His scarred cheek, right under his bad eye. He giggles as the spins begin to take hold, blurring Zuko’s shocked face. Sokka face plants back into Zuko’s chest.

There’s really only one word on Sokka’s drunken mind as Zuko gently holds him in a bed that’s just a little too small and just a little too warm. He whispers it into the night, into Zuko’s chest.

“I love you, Zuko.”

If Zuko responds, Sokka doesn’t hear. He falls asleep instantly to Zuko’s heartbeat.

_When you kill the lights and kiss my eyes, I feel like a person for a moment of my life.”_

_To Be Alone_. Hozier. _From Eden_ EP. 2014.

_It feels good, oh, to be alone with you._

* * *

When Sokka wakes up with a dry mouth, a headache, and an arm that doesn’t belong to him wrapped around his waist, he realizes that the previous night hadn’t been a cruel joke. His heart plummets all the way to the bottom of his stomach, beating so fast he can feel it all the way up in his ears.

Zuko is still sleeping next to him, his chest falling and rising with his low, hot breaths. He must have been tired to have slept in past Sokka. The memory of sloppily kissing Zuko’s cheek before mumbling that he loved him into his chest slaps Sokka across the face. He jumps out of Zuko’s embrace as suddenly as if he had been poked with a hot stake, flinging the blankets off of him with jerky movements. He curses at himself for being so stupid. _Way to go and ruin the one thing you had going for you in your life, dummy._

Zuko begins to stir, his gold eyes lazily blinking up into Sokka’s. Zuko smiles sleepily at Sokka as if Sokka had hand delivered him the moon, all tied up with a pretty red string and a neon sign that screamed “ _Here is my heart! It’s all for you!”_

It’s too much to handle. To wake up next to his roommate, his best friend, the boy he had fallen into horrible, stupid love with.

“Oh,” Zuko says, his smile widening, “I guess it really did happen.”

It hits Sokka with the force of a hurricane that maybe all those months he spent flirting with Zuko, the texts and the songs and the banter...maybe it hadn’t been as one sided as he had thought. Sokka wants to reach out and climb back into bed with Zuko. To kiss the stupid grin off of his stupid face, but he knows that if he does that there would be no going back. There never was.

Leave it to Sokka to fuck up the most important realtionship in his life. Zuko seems to finally notice his fear and his eyes scrunch in concern.

“Sokka?”

“Zuko,” Sokka chokes out. “I’m sorry, I-” He pauses and shakes his head. “I didn’t mean...I shouldn’t have-”

“You...shouldn’t have.” Zuko repeats.

He’s fucking up, Sokka _knows_ he is, but when he had seen Zuko’s smile, the dam inside of him broke and suddenly nothing was more terrifying than being known by the one person he wanted it from.

He had looked at Zuko and he had seen his father the day he left for deployment. He looked at Zuko and he saw his mother the last day she would ever smile. He looked at Zuko and saw Yue, beautiful and forever young, immortalized in the stars that had so often reminded him of her eyes. He saw Suki telling him they were better off as friends and Toph turning away his offers of help. He saw Katara whenever she said goodbye and Aang whenever he said hello. Sokka saw the faces of all the people he loved...all the people who would eventually leave him.

He didn't think he would survive if Zuko left him, too.

Zuko has gotten out of bed now, his arms crossed and face set defensively, waiting for an explanation that would never come.

“It’s just that, well you know…we wouldn’t be good for each other and I didn’t mean-”

“I get it, Sokka,” Zuko’s voice is as harsh and cold as the day they had first met. “You were drunk and you didn’t mean it. I better go.”

Sokka practically whines as Zuko pushes past him and out of the room. He vaguely hears the front door slam as Zuko leaves the apartment, probably to go to his uncle’s tea shop where he worked part time. Sokka slid to the floor and puts his hands in his head, wondering how on earth he was going to fix this. Its ironic, he thinks, that the Hozier song is still stuck in his head. Specifically one line.

_All I've ever done is hide._


	3. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka tries to set things straight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am most certainly not a chapter fic kinda gal, I prefer my lil one shots. The last chapter fic I wrote I never finished but i was DETERMINED to complete this one!! And here we are <3 
> 
> This au was a lot of fun to write! Thanks for coming along the journey with me.

Two and a half years ago Zuko’s dorm roommate Jet had gotten drunk and tried to push Zuko around. Zuko, Sokka had come to realize, was not really a person you could easily push around. Zuko hadn’t wanted to make a big deal about it, quietly telling their RA that as long as Jet wasn’t anywhere near him anymore he would be fine.

Jet moved out the next day.

They hadn’t known each other very long, but it didn’t take very long for Sokka to weasel himself into Zuko's life. The library incident had only been a few weeks ago, and Sokka went out of his way to run up to Zuko whenever he saw him around campus and sing wildly at him with a goofy grin until people on the streets turned to look at them. Zuko would roll his eyes and push Sokka off of him, mumbling about how Sokka needed ten different kinds of therapy before storming off down the street.

It didn't take long for Sokka to wear Zuko down, though. Sokka’s intuition told him that Zuko was secretly the kind of person who liked the attention, and Sokka's instincts were usually right. Pretty soon when Sokka would go out of his way to do the Macarena for Zuko in the middle of the street, Zuko would even _smile._

When he sang loudly and off key, sometimes Zuko sang back. Quietly and right on the note. Zuko’s voice was soft and sweet and from the very first moment Sokka had ever heard it he knew it would be the death of him. With their new friendship blooming, Sokka found himself crashing at Zuko’s a few nights a week after Jet moved out. Zuko’s dorm was closer to Sokka’s early classes, and they would spend their free time studying while HGTV played on Zuko’s TV. When Sokka would get tired of the Property Brothers he would blast Hannah Montana until Zuko tackled him into the frayed beanbag that Jet left behind.

It had become almost ritual; Sokka going over to Zuko’s after class, and the two of them just existing together. Sokka loved those days and those moments where Zuko let his guard down and Sokka in. He was a much gentler person than his prickly outer appearance let on, and Sokka adored him. On days like that, Zuko usually left the door open for Sokka, which is how he had found himself barging in, exhausted from being late again to Piandao’s lecture. His headphones were swinging wildly from his neck, Ariana Grande’s _“Breathin”_ blasting from their speakers.

“What is _up_ my dude, you’ll never believe what Haru-”

But Sokka immediately closed his mouth with a quick snap when he saw Zuko laying face down on the floor, _in the dark_ , from Bring Me The Horizon's sixth studio album, _amo,_ blasting from Sokka’s portable speaker Katara had given him for his birthday last year.

_He’s fucking dead_ , Sokka thought in terror as he dropped his backpack on the floor and raced over to his friend.

“...Zuko? Are...are you okay, buddy?”

“Hmmph.”

Sokka let out an audible sigh he hadn’t known he had been holding as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Jesus dude you can’t do stuff like that, I thought you were dead!”

Zuko lifted his head, an exasperated look on his face that Sokka had quickly gotten used to. “You thought that I what...came home from class, turned on Bring Me The Horizon, and then just laid down to...die?”

Sokka let out an involuntary snort. It did sound pretty crazy when said aloud. “Something like that, yeah.”

Zuko rolled his eyes but shifted into a sitting position on the floor. He looked rougher than usual. His hair was mussed up in every which way, which almost sent Sokka into overdrive. He wore a crumpled up shirt that said “enemy of the state” (last years christmas present from his sister), his movie night joggers, and mismatched socks with “turtleducks” on them. Sokka still didn’t quite understand what a turtleduck was, but Zuko’s uncle Iroh had knitted them for him and they _were_ pretty cute.

“I don’t have a death wish, Sokka. I was just tired.”

Sokka held out a hand which Zuko eventually took. He pulled him over to Zuko’s bed, where a deep red comforter was neatly folded with squishy pillows sitting atop. “You have a bed right here, with the most expensive comforter I think I’ve ever seen in my life, and you chose the floor?

Zuko shrugged. “It was closer.”

Sokka rolled his eyes fondly. This boy was unlike anyone he had ever met before, and Sokka knew _Aang._ He managed to coerce Zuko to his bed, throwing him his favorite black hoodie and putting _Fixer Upper_ on the tv. Zuko loved _Fixer Upper_.

Sokka was just settling into the bed next to Zuko, about to pull out his texts and crack down on studying, when Zuko’s head drooped over to his shoulder. Sokka tensed, but if Zuko noticed he didn’t pull away. When Sokka asked what was wrong, Zuko shifted uncomfortably, but opened up and told him.

He told him, with bitterness and a hint of fear, about how his father was putting pressure on him to complete a business degree even though Zuko didn’t want to. How he compared him to his younger sister and how he, Zuko, had always been the family disappointment. How his mother had left and all Zuko had left was his uncle, unstable sister, and abusive father.

Some of the things Zuko said Sokka just couldn’t imagine a father saying. Hakoda hadn’t always been able to be around, but the love he showed for Sokka and his sister had been unwavering. He told Zuko this, with anger in his voice that he just couldn’t push away, but Zuko had just shrugged in defeat.

“Yeah well, I gave up on ‘unwavering love’ from my father when I was thirteen.”

“Why is that?”

Zuko turned and looked away as Joanna made a very dramatic phone call about a very trivial water pipe problem to a family with way too much money to know what to do with. The blue light from the tv bounced off of Zuko’s dark walls, painting Zuko’s face in light.

“You get burned on the face by your dad and uh, sorta start to lose any hope that he ever loved you.”

Zuko’s words were cool and bitter and for a small moment, Sokka didn’t put two and two together. As Zuko picked his nails, his heart on his sleeve and under his eye, Sokka continued to live in a world where his new friend hadn’t been physically abused by his father. When the lightbulb switched on, he scrambled out of the bed and began to pace the floor up and down, wringing his hands in his t-shirt.

“Woah, woah, woah, hold up-“ Sokka stopped. Repositioned. Breathed. Continued to pace. “Hold up, hold up man, your dad...did what now?”

Zuko was looking at him with an odd expression. His eyes were wide in surprise, his mouth slanted slightly in fondness, his cheeks red with embarrassment. He pointed up at the scar on his face.

Sokka forced himself to unclench his fists.

“Look, Sokka, it really isn’t that big of a deal-“

_“Isn’t a big deal?!_ ” 

But this had been the wrong thing to say. It was only a small jerk of his head, but Zuko visibly flinched as his gold eyes widened and he breathed in and out with steady precision as if he we’re counting himself down. _In and out, in and out, in and out._

“Zuko, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…” Sokka trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Zuko shook his head stiffly, a small gesture, but Sokka was beginning to pick up on his body language. _I know. I believe you. It’s okay._ Sokka stood still, afraid that if he moved he would break the spell. That if he breathed too loudly, Zuko’s asshole of a father would show up and finish the job. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

“I’m not made of glass, Sokka.”

“What? I know that-“

Zuko sighed and reached out his left hand while his right patted his comforter expectantly. Sokka watched for a moment, just a mere moment, before giving into what he wanted, what the universe wanted. What apparently _Zuko_ wanted.

Sokka took his hand and climbed in the bed.

It took a moment to get situated on the small, shitty dorm mattress, but soon Sokka had Zuko wrapped up in his arms, breathing steadily against his chest as they quietly watched the couple on TV explore their new home.

“You can...you can stay here if you want. Tonight. I mean,” Zuko mumbled sweetly against his chest. “If you want.”

Sokka stayed.

He stayed, wrapped up in Zuko’s comforter and Zuko’s sheets and Zuko’s arms. It was comfortable and peaceful and he had to actively remind his heart to quit racing even though it felt so _right._ Zuko’s shallow breaths turned into quiet snores, his body completely relaxed against Sokka’s, and Sokka pressed a light kiss to the top of his head, ignoring the way his entire body flared up as he did so.

* * *

Sokka thought about that night a lot.

They hadn’t talked about it the next day, or ever again really, but something had shifted slightly in their friendship after that night. Zuko had begun to break down his meticulously built up walls, one brick at a time, and Sokka found himself tripping over each brick and stone as he fell in love with this beautiful boy and his beautiful heart. 

But Sokka had really messed up, he knew that from the way Zuko’s face had gone slack with horror when Sokka had said that it was a mistake...that _he_ was a mistake…

_Stupid, stupid, stupid Sokka…_

He had spent almost three years in love with his best friend, and when the perfect moment finally arrived he somehow managed to fuck it up. Zuko had ran out of the room and Sokka had spent the past hour frozen in place wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

_I have to find him._

Sokka threw himself from the bed, his heart racing, and grabbed the first clothing items he could see. He grabbed his keys and his wallet and threw on some shoes left out by the front door. He shot Zuko a text asking where he was on the off chance that maybe he had forgiven him and wanted to see him, but he didn’t expect him to respond.

He would check Iroh’s first. The Jasmine Dragon wasn’t too far from campus, and Zuko liked to help out if he had free time. Sokka and their friends spent a lot of time there studying and drinking free tea that Iroh brought them every forty-five minutes. He could see why it meant so much to Zuko, why that funny little old man meant so much to him. Zuko had told him once, that when he had told his dad that he was leaving Cali to go to school across the country, Iroh had followed him. Zuko had tried to make a home in a new, cold, and unfamiliar state and Iroh had made a home wherever Zuko was. It only made sense that he would be there now.

When Sokka pushed open the door, a small golden dragon with a bell in it’s mouth chimed over his head. The shop was pretty quiet, which was unusual for a Saturday morning, but Sokka wasn’t complaining. The less people who had to watch him grovel for Zuko’s forgiveness the better. Iroh stood behind the register, humming to himself as he delicately placed delicious looking pastries behind a glass display case. The music in the shop was something familiar, but too quiet for Sokka to completely make out, and he didn’t really have the mental space to figure it out. Iroh looked up at the sound of the bell, and smiled warmly at Sokka. Sokka’s heart plummeted a little, because if Iroh was looking at him fondly, as he usually did, then Zuko must not have been here to have told him what had happened.

“Ah, Sokka. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Sokka walked up to the counter, rifling through his wallet absent mindedly. If he was here, he might as well grab a chai to go.

“I was looking for Zuko. I thought he might be here with you.”

Iroh hummed and turned around, beginning to make Sokka’s latte, even though Sokka had never asked. “I am afraid you just missed him, he stopped by a little while ago.”

Sokka’s heart sank. _Well, the search goes on_. “Oh,” he said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice as he took the steaming cup from Iroh's wrinkled hands. “I don’t suppose he told you where he went?”

Iroh walked around the counter, still humming along to the music playing overhead. “I do not know, he was most distraught this morning. I thought it best not to pry, but perhaps...” Iroh looked Sokka up and down. His dirty joggers and his mismatched shoes. Half of his hair was falling out of it’s usual ponytail and he was pretty sure his shirt was on inside out. “Perhaps I should have.”

Iroh gave Sokka a knowing look with raised eyebrows, but said nothing more. Sokka sighed and tried to fix his ponytail. He only made it worse.

“I just have to find him. I...I messed up and I gotta tell him-”

Iroh stood quietly, sipping his own tea, with a thoughtful expression. Even if Zuko hadn’t told him what had happened between the two of them, Iroh was looking at him with too much knowing in his eyes.

“You know, my nephew and you are more similar than one might think.”

Sokka was bouncing on his feet, sipping his chai, and looking for an excuse to get out of the tea shop. He loved Iroh and the infinite wisdoms that he seemed to have, but at the moment Sokka had better things to attend to.

“I’m sure you’re right, Iroh, but at the moment I really just need to find him.”

“He is very scared to let people in, in case they hurt him," Iroh said, paying no attention to Sokka's eagerness to leave. "But you, you’re scared too, aren’t you Sokka?”

Sokka flushed and checked his watch. He didn’t have anywhere to be today but the longer this went on the longer it would take him to find Zuko. Besides, the way Iroh was looking at him was making him feel way too seen.

“Uh…”

“You love him dearly, do you not?”

Sokka choked on his tea, as his eyes widened in shock. It was quiet, so quiet, that Sokka could finally hear the album playing overhead. A song he knew only too well, one that Zuko played around the apartment whenever he was in a particularly good mood. One they had danced to together in their living room just yesterday.

_And I know that you’re scared because hearts get broken._

Golden. Harry Styles.

Sokka sighed and met Iroh’s expecting eyes. It shouldn’t really have come as such a surprise that the old man could see right through him. The rest of their friends had, and even his own dad was wondering when Sokka would call him up to tell him that him and Zuko had finally decided to make things official. Somewhere in his heart and his mind, Sokka knew all of that, but the idea that Zuko could ever love him back was almost too overwhelming to accept.

Almost.

“Uh yeah,” he said softly, “Yeah I do.”

It felt odd to say it out loud, to finally speak it into existence; but Sokka had always known that it was true, and if Iroh’s sparkling eyes were anything to go by, then he did too. Iroh hummed again and returned to behind the counter where he waved off Sokka’s offer to pay for the tea. “On the house, Sokka. Family doesn’t pay here.”

It wasn’t the first time Iroh had said that to him, but he still felt heat creeping up his neck and across his ears. He said it to all of their friends, even Toph, who had once broken two of his windows when Zuko had muttered something about Ozai aloud without realizing it.

Sokka didn’t deserve Iroh’s kindness, not after what he had put his nephew through, but Iroh was looking at him as if none of that mattered.

“There are many mistakes a man can make in his life. Loving somebody is not one of them, Sokka. Believe me, I would know!” And he let out a jovial belly laugh that shook his entire frame. Sokka nodded, his eyes wild and his face redder than he thinks it had ever been before, and he began to slowly inch his way to the front door. His mismatched shoes made funny noises on the tiles but Iroh didn’t seem to notice.

“Zuko has always had a soft spot for ducks,” Iroh said, and Sokka nearly slapped himself. _Of course._ “If he is upset, he may be found at the-”

“The duck pond, yeah of course. Thanks Iroh!” Sokka turned to leave, his path finally clear in his mind. The duck pond was in the middle of campus. It got its name from the ducks that lived there, but also the rubber ducks that somehow always littered its waters during football season. Sokka would be lying if he said he hadn’t ever been caught in the middle of the duck pond, passed out on a giant inflatable duck that he made Katara and Aang buy, and had Toph help him blow up.

He nearly tripped over the untied laces on his left foot when Iroh called after him,

“Oh, and Sokka?” Sokka turned. “Fear of loss is normal, healthy even, when dealing with love. Or even life. But if one succumbs to the fear in their mind instead of the love in their heart then their soul will never blossom.” Sokka scratched at his head but nodded dutifully, making a mental note to ask Zuko if Iroh had ever passed his psych eval before trying to go into the military. He shrugged it off and began to sprint out the shop, the golden dragon above the door chiming once again as Iroh called out after him with a bit more fire in his voice,

“Do not break my nephews heart again!”

* * *

Sokka found him exactly where Iroh said he would be. Sitting on a bench in the middle of campus, his phone resting lazily against his knee as he scrolled through some social media Sokka was sure he had no idea how to work. Zuko didn’t look up until Sokka slid across the bench next to him. He sat still, as still as he could, afraid that if he made too strong of a movement Zuko would run off. Zuko lifted an eye, his good one, and stared at Sokka with shock. He masked it quickly with annoyance and turned back to his phone.

“I’m not made of glass, Sokka.”

Sokka sighed and stretched out his legs. Apparently that was one of Zuko's favorite things to say to him. Zuko glanced over again and raised his eyebrow.

“Nice shoes.”

“I was in a hurry.”

“For what, to find...me?”

“Of course to find you!”

Zuko looked away again, the rest of his face as red as his scar. Sokka, for once in his life, didn’t really know what to say. Zuko looked like he wanted to say something, too, but refrained, and Sokka didn’t want to ruin anything any further.

“Look, Zuko,”

“I get it, Sokka. I’m sorry I ran out this morning that wasn’t fair of me, I just...I haven’t quite sorted through all of my anger issues but I’m working on it! I don’t want to lose you as a friend, we can just forget about it, I’ll be civil I promise.”

Sokka stared with wide eyed horror as Zuko fumbled over his words. He was tugging at his sleeves and picking at his scar, and Sokka was reminded that he wasn’t the only person who had lost somebody before. Just because Zuko’s trauma and heartbreak was a different flavor than his own didn’t mean it would make his stomach feel any better.

Sokka grabbed his hand without any thought and pulled all of Zuko’s attention to him. “No Zuko I don’t want that. I have never wanted that. I want you and I always have I’m just…” Zuko was looking at him as if he had grown an immediate mustache, and Sokka almost wanted to laugh. He wanted to kiss the shock off of his lips and swallow it whole. Maybe then, Zuko would understand just how important this was to him. “Also don’t say it wasn’t fair of you, you have every right to be upset, I hurt you and it was the last thing I ever wanted to do and I only said all of that because I was scared, Zuko. I was scared of getting what I wanted and the universe proving me right and taking you away or...or worse, and I just…”

He thought of Yue, and his mother and his father, and when Zuko's golden eyes softened slightly, he knew that Zuko understood. Zuko leaned over to place a soft kiss on Sokka’s cheek. His face was still red and his eyes still searching, but he looked more confident than before, and as beautiful as always.

“So...so you _do_ like me? I’m getting some weird signals here, dude.”

Zuko’s face was open. It was so open and vulnerable, not a single brick in sight. He had burnt down all of his walls and invited Sokka in with an open invitation. Sokka wasn’t ever going to throw it away again. Sokka’s breath was instantly knocked out of him at the sheer sight of somebody so gorgeous and intelligent.

“Yeah, Zuko, I like you.” He leaned in closer, his lips brushing the side of Zuko’s ear, just shy of his scar. “I like you a lot and I have for a while. I’m sorry I was an asswipe and an idiot.”

Zuko chuckled softly and exhaled with relief. For all the hard edges he used to navigate the world, on the inside he was soft and vulnerable and kind. Sokka liked that about him. Sokka tried to bring light into the world because the light inside of him was easily dimmed, but on the inside, Zuko _burned._ He burned hot and fast and passionate and Sokka wanted to taste it more than ever.

He leaned over and kissed Zuko.

Zuko responded with enthusiasm. He tasted like last night's beer and this morning's breath, and it was sort of gross and sort of perfect and Sokka’s heart was aflame. When they pulled apart to breathe, Zuko looked Sokka up and down, taking in his ensemble.

“Come on pretty boy, let's get you home. You look homeless.”

“ _Pretty boy?_ ”

“How did you find me, by the way?”

“ _Pretty_? If anybody is pretty here, it’s _you_ -”

Zuko punched him lightly and rolled his eyes. “Focus, Sokka.”

Sokka rubbed his arm and stuck his tongue out at Zuko before responding. “Your uncle said you might be here if you were upset and it made sense. I know how much you like ducks.” Zuko paled and began to choke on his words.

“I don’t like...you went to uncle? Oh stars what did he say... _I like ducks_?”

Sokka laughed loud and bold and full of something he hadn’t felt in a while. “Yes, I went to your uncle, yes he knew you would be here, and yes you _do_ like ducks.” Sokka allowed Zuko to pull him to his feet as they began to walk, hand in hand, back towards their apartment.

“And what did he say to you?” Zuko asked again, a hint of embarassment in his voice, as if he knew his lovable uncle was off embarrassing him while he wasn’t in the room. Sokka smirked and flushed simultaneously. 

“He told me not to break your heart.”

Zuko swallowed, clearly still embarrassed, but his eyes were focused and bright and his face was stubborn when he asked, “I see. And will you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/comment to let me know what you thought and as always feel free to poke me on tumblr @winterdearest. I really enjoyed writing in this lil au and although this particular story is complete, I may come back and visit the au again. Thank you so much for reading and supporting writers!!
> 
> ~rach

**Author's Note:**

> comment/kudos to let me know what you think, and as always feel free to boop me on tumblr @killerrach. Thanks for reading!
> 
> ~Rach


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